The Honatetsu Siblings: Asuma Sensei
by fantasmefantastic
Summary: AC. SPOILER ALERT! The Honatetsu Siblings are back for another adventure, and this time, they're divided. Kiya, unable to go on the mission, is ordered to stay in Konoha and help Naruto train. Meanwhile, Sasu and Tzu face off against Akatsuki with Asuma.
1. New Training, You're Not Allowed

**More Honatetsu! Yay! Lol.**

**The beginning is kind of rocky, but I'm sure you wonderful guys will get over it. :D**

**I do not own Naruto. I DO own the Honatetsu siblings, and their wolves, however...**

* * *

**Asuma-Sensei! There's Only So Much We Can Take.**

"Naruto actually listens to me? What bull is this? Naruto doesn't listen to anyone!"

Yamato looked up and smiled at the raven-haired girl and she stalked towards him, fuming. Her long hair streamed behind her, and the three wolves trotted slightly ahead of her. Yamato's ANBU eyes caught the fresh bandages around Kiyasha's arm as she tied a loose end, tucking a cream into her shruiken pouch.

"What's this?" Yamato asked, grabbing her arm gently and examining it. "What happened to your arm?"

Kiyasha immediately tugged her arm back, pressing it to her chest.

"Scars," she muttered.

Yamato looked at her, concern obvious on his face.

"Let's just get going, okay?" she snapped.

* * *

Tzurin staggered to her feet and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She took a moment to regain her breath, when Sasubu came stalking out of the house.

"I still don't understand why _I _had to make sure the Oto Kunoichi are settled in," he muttered, darkly. "I could've been here, mastering my new genjutsu but no,_ I_ had to go show a bunch of girls around Konoha..."

He suddenly noticed that Tzurin was on the ground, breathing heavily.

"Done already, Tzu?" Sasubu snickered. Tzurin glared at him.

"You go learn the Chidori and then see what the hell you do," she snapped back, slowly heaving herself to her feet. "I've been out here since eight in the freaking morning, _you've_ been showing a bunch of girls around Konoha. Oh yes, that's such a difficult activity."

"Oye, where's Kiyasha?" Sasubu asked, suddenly. "I thought she was hell-bent on learning the Rasengan in a week, or something like that." Tzurin sighed.

"Yamato stopped by earlier and asked her to go out to those deserted training grounds," the blonde-haired girl explained. "Naruto's supposed to be learning Nature Manipulation right now, and Kakashi and Yamato thought Kiyasha might be able to help."

When Sasubu didn't respond, Tzurin closed her eyes, inhaled, exhaled, then focused all her chakra into her hand. Immediately, her chakra tried to spin out and explode. She grunted, grabbing her wrist with her free hand and forcing the chakra to stay in line...but it was so hard...the lightning was starting to break free...

"KUSO!" Tzurin cursed, loudly "I've been working on this thing all day and I can't get it—"

"Tzurin, you're attempting to master the Chidori. This Jutsu took Kakashi at least a month to create and master it as a Gennin. It took the traitor a week. And _you_ passed the first step _yesterday_. To pass the second in one day would be completely unnatural, even for us genius Honatetsu's," Sasubu consoled, smartly.

Tzurin rolled her eyes and began to concentrate again, but then collapsed, breathing heavily.

* * *

"...And if Yamato keeps the Nine-Tails in check, it could be over a hundred times more," Kakashi said, as Yamato and Kiyasha appeared at the clearing.

"That's why you're the only one who can do this kind of training, Naruto," Kakashi finished.

"Captain Yamato!" Naruto greeted, happily. He caught sight of Kiyasha and ran to her, throwing his arms around her and squeezing. "Kiyasha-neechan!"

Kiyasha smiled, patting Naruto's arm. Yamato's eyes again saw the bandages.

"Kiyasha, why do you wear those?" he asked, again. Kiyasha looked down.

"No one told you what happened?" Kakashi asked, startled. Yamato shook her head. "Kiyasha had a little run-in with the Metal Manipulator."

Yamato's jaw dropped.

"_What?_" he hissed, and he turned wide, brown eyes onto Kiyasha. "You fought the Metal Manipulator?" Kiyasha shrugged.

"It was a month ago, yeah," she said, calmly.

"All the Rookie's were on a mission to scout out the forest after rumors of a powerful team of Akatsuki's wandering around," Kakashi said. "The three Honatetsu's fought one of each of the teams. Tzurin fought the Taijutsu Witch. Sasubu fought the Cherry Blossom Mist. And Kiyasha fought the Metal Manipulator."

"Real creative names," Kiyasha muttered, rolling her eyes.

"What happened?" Yamato asked her. She sighed.

"The 'Metal Manipulator' or whatever," she began. "Caught Naruto and Sakura and bound them to a tree. Tsuki was knocked out. Sai charged in before I told him and he ended up tied to a tree with metal, too. I jumped in and, through a series of events, got thrown into a tree and metal spikes shot out and went through my arms."

To prove her words, Kiyasha lifted her right sleeve and showed Yamato and Kakashi the jagged, shiny scars covering the upper half of her arm. Kakashi's black eye softened at the sight, Yamato's brown ones widened. Naruto looked unbelievably sad and disappointed in himself.

"And you survived that...?" he asked. Kiyasha shrugged.

"That's not the whole story, Yamato," Kakashi said, only he was looking at Kiyasha. "Tell him what happened after that."

"Why?" she snapped.

"Because I'm the Captain here and I said so." Kiyasha snorted.

"Fine," she snapped. "The metal-nin's filing rushed to where everyone else was lying, and I just sort of...tore myself free and got in the way."

Yamato stared at her.

"I got speared through the right calf, the left thigh and my stomach," she said, tapping each section as she said it. "And then I killed him."

"You killed him, even though you had just been _speared by a hundred metal spikes?"_

Kiyasha shrugged, then looked down into Naruto's saddened face and she gently brushed a wild strand of blonde hair away from his eyes.

"A man killed my family," she said, her eyes on Naruto. "And I want revenge on him. But I can't — _won't_ — let anyone hurt the family I have left. I can't lose anyone else."

Naruto smiled at her, his blue eyes shimmering.

"Let's get started on this Nature Manipulation training," Kakashi said, suddenly serious. He tilted his head and looked at Kiyasha. "You wanna explain to Naruto?"

Kiyasha snorted. "Fine." She cleared her throat, then began.

"There are five basic types of chakra used for this jutsu," she said.

"Only five?" Naruto interrupted.

"Earth, Water, Wind, Fire, and Lightning," Kiyasha continued. "These five elements are the foundation of all jutsu. And the reason the five great countries are named as they are." She sighed and looked at Naruto. "Each person is matched with an element or two. Those who are matched with wind are good with wind jutsu. Those with lightning are good with lightning, and so on." She glanced at Kakashi.

"Chidori is a lightning jutsu, for example," he said, calmly.

"So Sasuke's matched with Fire and Lightning?" Naruto asked. Kiyasha swallowed.

"You, on the other hand, are a zero," Kakashi said, drawing out several strips of Chakra Paper. "And we're going to see what you are with these cards."

Kakashi picked one up and pressed it between his fingers.

Immediately, it crinkled up with a soft _crunch_ noise.

"If you're lightning-natured, the paper crumples," Kiyasha explained. "Wind cuts in half. Fire, it burns. Water, it gets wet. And Earth makes it turn to dust."

Naruto tilted his head at Kiyasha, looking confused. She sighed.

"Yes?"

"What happens when _you_ touch the paper?" he asked. Kiyasha shrugged and snapped one from Kakashi's hands.

"Let's see," she muttered. Closing her eyes, Kiyasha channeled a small amount of chakra into the paper.

The paper immediately dampened. Then it crumpled. Then it was sliced in half. Then, the halves became dust. And finally, the paper burned.

Kiyasha sighed and let the wind carry the ashes away.

"I'm all five elements," she said, wiping her hands together. "Now let's see what you are."

"It's an unique paper that reacts to even the slightest bit of chakra," Kakashi said, handing a card to Naruto. "Channel your chakra into it and we'll know what you are immediately."

"Okay..." Naruto said, closing his eyes. "HA!"

Kakashi, Yamato, and Kiyasha all watched as the paper promptly sliced in half.

"Well, "Wind Nature Manipulation" training it is, then," Kakashi said, smartly.

"..Wind," Naruto murmured. "What does Wind...do?"

Kakashi and Yamato promptly turned to Kiyasha who closed her eyes and sighed, heavily.

"Wind cuts everything up," she said. "It is a supreme strength in battle—"

"Ooooh! I'm gonna be awesome!" Naruto cried.

"Not necessarily," Kiyasha cut in. Naruto turned to her. "Wind is the most difficult element to control. The most difficult element to force under your own power, and chakra, and mold it into something new."

Naruto glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean! You think I'm not strong enough?!"

"You want me to stay and help you?" she snapped. Naruto drew back.

"...yes," he muttered.

"Then shut up and listen to what I say," she snapped. "Out of everyone here, _I_ know the most about elements and manipulating nature. In case you haven't noticed, my signature move is _controlling all five elements!"_

Naruto winced back at her venom. Kakashi and Yamato exchanged looks.

"But there's not element that's "wood", right?" Naruto asked. He pointed at Yamato. "How the heck does he make trees and stuff, then?!"

Yamato sighed and quickly formed a few hand seals.

Kiyasha rolled her eyes as he made a mountain and then a waterfall. She snorted when he dropped down beside them and rolled her eyes up at him, teasingly.

"I can do that, too," she smirked.

"I have "Earth" and "Water" Manipulation," Yamato said, calmly. "When I force Earth into my right and Water into my left, and perform a hand seal, I get wood."

"Awesome..." Naruto muttered, staring up at the waterfall.

"No more questions, Naruto," Kiyasha snapped. "Training is more important, so get to work!"

Kakashi stepped forward and lifted a simple leaf. He explained to Naruto what the task was, and Kiyasha didn't bother listening. She pulled out her notebook and pencil and began writing out a description of one thing or another.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto roared.

And in the next second, about a thousand Naruto Shadow Clones were surrounding her.

"Oye! Oye! Kiyasha-neechan! Isn't this cool!" the Naruto's roared, waving their arms around at her. Kiyasha raised an eyebrow.

"I knew you could do the Tajuu Kage Bunshin Jutsu, Naruto, but that's the understatement of the century," the raven-haired Honatetsu said, smirking.

The Narutos grinned wildly at her, then each grabbed a leaf and began training.

"Jesus, Naruto," Kiyasha whispered, watching her blonde friend in wonder. "I knew he was amazing, but cutting the leaf within a span of twenty minutes? That's insane."

Kakashi chuckled.

"And mastering the first step of the Rasengan in two days isn't?"

Kiyasha ignored him and went back to her writing.

"What exactly are you writing, Kiyasha?" Kakashi asked, peering over her shoulder.

Instinctively, Kiyasha snapped her notebook shut and tucked it into her bag.

"Nothing," she muttered.

"Shit, that "me" over there is pretty good," muttered a Naruto. Kiyasha laughed.

Suddenly, the dark-haired girl stood up and smiled at Kakashi and Yamato.

"I need to get home," she said, turning to walk away. "Tzurin will flip out if I'm not there when she masters Chidori—"

"Tzurin is learning Chidori?" Kakashi asked, almost dropping his book. Kiyasha smiled.

"Yep," she answered.

"Kiyasha-neechan! You can't go now! You've gotta see me—"

"I'll come back later, Naruto-niisan, don't worry," Kiyasha said, kindly. "Ja ne."

* * *

When Kiyasha returned home, her siblings were bickering as usual, and the three wolves were watching with impatient eyes. Sasubu probably made the mistake of trying to advise Tzurin on the making of the Chidori.

Kiyasha ignored them and lifted her face to the sky.

_Not a cloud in sight...Shikamaru must be bored..._she smirked.

Suddenly, a small shadow crossed her line of sight and Kiyasha's smirk vanished.

"Guys..." she called, turning to them. Tzurin and Sasubu looked up. "The Nijyuu Shoutai has been summoned."

Tzurin and Sasubu's expressions immediately sobered. They exchanged looks and nods, and Tzurin beckoned to Kiyasha. The three of them stood in a line as they always did when about to enter somewhere: Sasubu on the right; hands on hips, Tzurin in the middle; arms crossed, and Kiyasha on the left; one hand on hip, the other hanging down. The wolves moved between them

"_Transport!_" Tzurin hissed, and the siblings vanished.

* * *

"Akatsuki is on the move, so I've gathered you all here too—"

_BOOM!_

All the ninja coughed and gagged from the sudden explosion of smoke. Tsunade glared through the vanishing clouds until three well-known figures and their wolves were visible.

"You could just get here on time and we wouldn't have to worry about this," she snapped.

"Well, if you could get a faster bird to out where we lived, we wouldn't have this issue!" Tzurin snapped back, her blue eyes glaring into the Fifth's amber ones. Tsunade sighed.

"We have an uneven number, since Kurenai can't participate," she muttered to herself. "All right, Tzurin, you're with Asuma. Sasubu? You back them up as their team's medic-nin. _Stay out of sight, _got it?"

The blue-haired boy saluted and went to stand behind Shikamaru, Tsume behind him. Tsunade rounded on Kiyasha, Tsuki, Toboe, and Tzurin.

"Tzurin," she snapped. The eldest Honatetsu looked up at her. "You are officially forbidden to reveal your powers provided by the Raijuu."

"_WHAT?!"_ Tzurin shrieked. "If I can't use his powers than all I've got is weaponary accuracy!"

Tsunade crossed her arms.

"I was under the impression that you were learning the Chidori," she said. "What about that?"

"I STARTED THAT TRAINING _TWO DAYS AGO!"_ the girl thundered. "LET'S SEE YOU LEARN THAT JUTSU IN _THREE DAMN DAYS!"_

Tsunade sighed, sounding tired.

"I don't want you exposed as Jinchuuriki, since the goal of this mission is to gather information on them," the Fifth Hokage explained. "If they find out that we have more than one Jinchuuriki here in Konoha...and with our defenses so low—"

Tzurin sighed. "I'll just throw," she said, sounding exhausted. "I won't use any Strikes or whatever..."

"I'll choose one element," Kiyasha said, suddenly. "And I won't use the Controlling Jutsu with it, either. I'll just be a...a...Mizu Master or something."

Tsunade looked at the girl with a sad look.

"Kiyasha, you can't go."

Kiyasha stared at the Hokage. Sasubu and Tzurin gaped.

"I...can't...what?" Kiyasha stammered.

"I am not willing to risk letting three of my best shinobi go out and hunt down Akatsuki—"

"So only _I_ have to stay here?!" Kiyasha roared. Tsunade sighed and slowly pointed to Kiyasha's waving hair.

"Your hair gives away what you are," the Fifth explained, solemnly. "These are Akatsuki, seeing you hair—"

"But Tzurin—"

"There are others who have blonde hair like your sister's," Tsunade snapped. "My decision is final. _You_ have to go and assist Kakashi and Yamato in training Naruto."

Kiyasha was _seething._ You could almost feel her anger rolling off her.

"What can I do there?!" she shouted. "_Nothing!_ That's what!"

"Kakashi knows the Rasengan," Tsunade said, coolly. Kiyasha was instantly silenced. "You can learn it as Naruto learns Nature Manipulation. Now, go!"

"But—"

"GO!"

Kiyasha looked back at Sasubu and Tzurin and they slowly nodded, though their faces were seemingly sad for their sister. Kiyasha sighed and put her hands together for a Transportation. Tsuki appeared beside her.

"Don't die on me now," she said, and vanished.

* * *

_POOF!_

"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!" Naruto shouted, and toppled backwards.

"I am so PISSED OFF right now!" Kiyasha roared, punching the ground. Almost immediately, the earth cracked and shuddered. Tsuki whined.

"What the hell, Kiyasha-neechan!?" Naruto shouted, leaping to his feet and stuffing his finger into her face. "You scared the crap outta me while I'm training!"

"Shut up, Naruto!" Kiyasha roared. "Did you just get shut out of a mission because you were risking the safety of your village?! NO! So I don't want to hear it!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"What happened, Kiyasha?" Yamato asked. Kiyasha huffed.

"Tsunade summoned all the Jounin to follow the Akatsuki pair who killed that Chiriku guy," she said, snapping off each word, angrily. "And then she told me that I couldn't go because my hair gives away the fact that I'm the Jinchuuriki of the Houkou and if Akatsuki found out that Konoha had more than one Jinchuuriki, they'd storm the place and—"

"We get it," Kakashi interrupted. "Why'd she send you here, though?"

Kiyasha stalked up to the Jounin Copy Ninja and stuffed a finger into his chest.

"YOU ARE GOING TO TEACH ME THE RASENGAN!" she roared.

Yamato, Naruto, and Kakashi blinked at the raven-haired girl.

"I'm going to_ what?_" Kakashi asked. Kiyasha glared at him.

"I want to learn the Rasengan and then morph into something with the elements," Kiyasha said. "And _you_ are the only other person in Konoha who can do the stupid Jutsu, so—!"

"Hey!" Naruto cried. "_I _can do the Rasengan!"

"Yes, Naruto, but you couldn't teach it to anyone, now could you?!"

Naruto grinned, sheepishly. "Heh heh...no..."

Kiyasha rounded on Kakashi. "Now finish whatever is going on here and make with the Rasengan!"

Kakashi sighed and turned to Naruto.

"Go on, Naruto," Kakashi said.

"Right!" Naruto shouted, and leapt up to the extended wood and formed his clones and began whatever the hell he was supposed to be learning.

"What's he doing?"

"Splitting the waterfall with chakra," Kakashi answered.

"Oh, right, that's the second stage of the whole Nature Whatchyamacallit," Kiyasha muttered.

"I'll begin teaching you Rasengan tomorrow, Kiyasha," Kakashi said, tilting his head to look at her. She glowered at him.

"Let me guess," she ground out. "Icha Icha just got good."

"Yes!" Kakashi cried, grinning. Kiyasha resisted the _very_ tempting urge to go Houkou-Crazy on his ass, but instead turned to Naruto.

"Huahhhhh!" the said boy shouted, shoving his hands into the water. He muttered something to himself, and then whirled. "KAKASHI-SENSEEEEEI!"

Kakashi looked up from his book and Kiyasha sighed, heavily.

"Don't I need more clones than this?!" Naruto asked in a shouting voice.

Kiyasha squinted and counted ten clones.

"Naruto, Nature Manipulation usually takes three years to master!" Kakashi called, impatiently. "The first step usually takes six months to master! You mastered it in a day, so relax. Even Sasuke, who is a true genius, needed several long days to master the Lightning Nature."

Kiyasha stiffened the mention of the traitor's name. She ground her teeth together, knowing that her and Naruto's opinions of Sasuke clashed rather...strongly.

Naruto slammed his foot down. "I NEED TO BE STRONGER THAN SASUKE!" he roared.

"Kakashi-sensei...maybe he's right," she said, slowly. "Before he had at least a hundred, now all he's got is ten. And this stage is much more difficult—"

"Kiyasha, _you_ form a bigger waterfall and extend the wood and see what happens," Kakashi snapped. Kiyasha grinned. Tsuki whined again.

"Okay!"

Kakashi's lone eye widened. "No, I wasn't—!"

"_Element Style: First Element Control!" _Kiyasha cried.

Her hands flew in the direction of a rather large tree, which shuddered in response. Moving with the grace of a ballet dancer, Kiyasha twisted her hands, tilted her body, and shoved her arms out, down to the end of the mountain Yamato had created before.

"This big enough, Naruto-niisan!?" she called. Naruto laughed.

"That's perfect!" he called back. Kiyasha grinned, twisted her hands, and finished off the bridge.

"Jesus Christ..." Kakashi whispered, rolling his eyes.

With a deep breath, Kiyasha formed a different hand sign and began the extending of the waterfall, but Yamato cut her off.

"Nah, I'll do it," he said, and slapped his hands together in the process.

Kiyasha sighed. "Ugh, fine. Sheesh, old geezers and their egos..."

Yamato and Kakashi glared at the young girl as she dropped onto the grass.

The waterfall immediately responded to Yamato's hand signs. It shuddered, then exploded and tripled in size.

Yamato bent over, gasping.

"That was a little rough, wasn't it?" Kakashi asked.

"No...no, I'm fine," Yamato replied.

"Happy now, you crazy runt?" Kiyasha called.

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Naruto roared.

Kiyasha blinked and suddenly a thousand Narutos were lined up on the twisted bend of wood. She leaned back on one hand and reached out to stroke Tsuki with the other.

"This is going to be fun to watch, isn't it, girl?" she asked the white wolf, who barked in response.

**TBC.**


	2. The Hunt Begins, Two First Bonds

**Chapter Two.**

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

"This mission is only for Jounin!" roared a sudden voice, after Kiyasha's departure.

The twins, Tzurin and Sasubu, titled their heads and looked at the outspoken voice.

"We do not have time for this, Goro," Tsunade snapped.

"If you have two Gennin on a mission that is supposedly Jounin only, then how could we trust you as a Hokage?" the Jounin called Goro demanded.

"Who the hell are you and why are you talking?" Tzurin snapped, angrily. "Besides, you're some old fart who has never seen us fight. How the hell would you if we're capable of this or not?"

"You're still Gennin," Goro replied, as if that answered everything.

"Have you ever heard of a boy by the name of Uzumaki Naruto?" Sasubu questioned, silencing Tzurin's bound-to-swear mouth.

"Yes, what about him?"

"He saved the Kazekage," Sasubu said. "At this very moment, he is learning Nature Manipulation. He's a Wind Natured, and the he's already a centimeter away from slicing the leaf in half."

"That's not that impressive—"

"He started this morning," Sasubu snapped, cutting off the annoying elder Jounin. His pale eyes narrowed dangerously as Goro opened his mouth again.

"Goro, shut the hell up," Tsunade snapped, instantly silencing the Jounin. "If you have a problem with the Honatetsu siblings, get over it." She sighed, then gestured to the twins. "Take your place behind Shikamaru, please."

The twins obeyed and Tsunade continued with the mission details.

"We need to work on finding out what their goals are," Tsunade said, facing the gathered crowd of shinobi. "If holding back seems impossible, obliterate them. They won't escape the Country of Fire, find them promptly. Go!"

- & -

Tzurin landed on Asuma's right and cracked her knuckles. Sasubu dropped beside Shikamaru and sighed.

"Well then, we'll face them from the Temple of Fire," Asuma said, calmly.

"Someone's gotta do it," he said. Shikamaru glanced at him. "Let's roll."

"All right!" Tzurin shouted, as they leaped into the air as the hunt for Akatsuki began.

* * *

By nightfall, Naruto was exhausted and Kakashi insisted they all go to sleep. Kiyasha softened the earth and borrowed a blanket from Naruto and slept in her own little crater, with Tsuki curled beside her.

However, she did not sleep.

_I hope Sasubu and Tzurin will be all right,_ she thought, worriedly.

"Cool, a shooting star," Naruto's voice whispered, suddenly. Kiyasha raised her eyes and saw the light streak across the sky.

She closed her eyes and wished. _I wish Tzurin and Sasubu will come back safe and alive._

Suddenly, she heard rustling and Kiyasha raised her head to see Naruto tearing off his jacket and stalking towards the waterfall, a determined expression on his face. Kiyasha's face softened at the sight as he climbed up to the wood and started training.

Slowly, Kiyasha stood up and leaped up to stand in beside him, Tsuki beside her.

"Here," she said, offering the blonde boy a clear bottle. He took it with a confused face.

"What is it?" he asked, uncorking the bottle and sniffing it. Kiyasha smiled.

"It's just a bit of Tzurin's latest smoothie concoctions," she said. "I believe this time it was strawberries, bananas, blueberries, and some chocolate."

Naruto grinned and took a sip. "It's amazing!" he cried, downing half the bottle. Kiyasha smiled and took it back, tucking it into her shuriken pouch.

"It should help you keep your strength for a little while longer," she said. "You can focus more and get farther."

Naruto smiled at her, a little sadly. "You always believe in me, Kiyasha-neechan," he whispered, staring at the waterfall. "Whenever you're in Konoha, you're always around to help me and protect me...you almost died saving me and Sakura-chan and Sai-teme..."

Kiyasha smiled at her little brother. "And I always will be, Naruto-niisan. Remember, once you're Hokage, I'll be your Kunoichi Advisory, Sasubu'll be the Shinobi Advisory, and we'll all keep Konoha safe together."

Naruto grinned at the memory of him and Kiyasha discussing how they'd protect Konoha once he became Hokage.

His grin suddenly faded.

"I want to be strong enough to get Sasuke back," he said.

"I know, Naruto, I know," Kiyasha said, softly.

"But I also want to be strong enough so you don't ever have to do something like that again," Naruto continued. He closed his eyes and, for a moment, he was back in that dreaded clearing, staring at a metal pike inches from his eye. A metal pike that was dripping with Kiyasha's blood.

"I don't want to lose anyone else," he said, softly.

"Neither do I, Naruto," Kiyasha said. "That's why we're going to get stronger. That's why you're going to learn Nature Manipulation and I'm going to learn the Rasengan. So we can protect everyone else and not lose them."

Naruto grinned. "That's right!" He turned and put his hands together. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

- & -

The next morning, Kiyasha stood beside the original Naruto, with Tsuki next to her.

"Just focus, Naruto," she said, reassuringly. "A little more chakra, but slow down. You're going to get it now. You're going to get it!" Tsuki barked in agreement, her tail wagging.

Naruto, who was still panting, nodded and grinned.

"Right! Let's do this!"

"Come on, Naruto!" Kiyasha shouted.

"HAAAAAA!"

_ROAR!_

The water before Kiyasha suddenly vanished. Naruto had ripped it in half.

"YES!" she screamed in unison with him. Tsuki howled in triumph. Kiyasha hugged him.

"Told you, you'd do it! Way to go, Naruto!"

"This training is amazing..." Yamato said. "I can't believe Naruto's come this far already..."

"It's not just the training style," Kakashi said, looking up from his book. "Sasuke is driving him."

Yamato looked up at Kakashi, questioningly.

"He seems to be so much better with Kiyasha around, more focused, somehow..." Kakashi smiled and tilted his head up to watch Kiyasha hug Naruto again.

"Kiyasha and Naruto have always been rather close. Kiyasha hated it when people teased him when he was younger. She stood up for him, she always has. She protected him from being killed by the Metal Manipulator." The Jounin paused and sighed.

"He wants to be able to do the same for her."

Yamato smiled.

"Sasuke and Kiyasha, Naruto's two first bonds."

* * *

"And..." Asuma asked. "Where's Chiriku?"

Team Asuma, consisting of Asuma, Tzurin, Sasubu, and Shikamaru, had arrived at the place of Akatsuki's last sighting. Tzurin eyed the place apprehensively, not liking the feel of the air. Sasubu was examining the latest list of prized bounties, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"The truth is," answered one of the two monk's. "Wherever we look, we cannot find Chiriku's body."

"Uh...Asuma-sensei," Sasubu muttered, suddenly. Asuma tilted his head back.

"What is it, Sasubu?"

"I don't really want to say this, but..." Sasubu paused. "On the illegal market, Chirkiu's body has become a prized bounty worth three million ryou."

"Those Akatuski guys," Tzurin hissed, her blue eyes flaring.

"...It is a possibility," Asuma answered, grinding his teeth together.

"A bounty station, perhaps?" Shikamaru suggested. "Meaning that those guys are carrying Chiriku's body around."

"Sasubu, what's the location of the nearest bounty station?" Tzurin asked.

Sasubu paused for a moment, flipping through is little book.

"Including the nearest, there are five locations in all," he answered. He reached into his shuriken pouch and picked up a ball that looked like a smoke bomb.

Tzurin took it, tossed it into the air, and muttered a jutsu.

The ball exploded into four birds with flapping wings.

"With this," Sasubu explained. "The other teams can check out the other locations."

"All right, then!" Asuma cried, stepping forward. "Let's hurry as well!"

"Please, wait, Sarutobi Asuma-dono," murmured the second monk.

Asuma paused, turning back with an expression of surprise on his face.

"Please allow me," the monk murmured. "Even a little, to pray for you who are about to go into battle."

Asuma smiled.

* * *

Up on the wood, Naruto grinned wildly as Kiyasha hugged him again.

"I cut the waterfall! I really cut it!"

"Now we can enter the final stage of his original new jutsu," Kakashi said, proudly, from down below.

Suddenly, Kiyasha's scream alerted Kakashi and Yamato.

"Naruto, Naruto!" she cried out, grabbing his shoulders and cradling him against her. "Naruto, are you all right?"

Kakashi appeared beside her, looking terrified with worry.

"I'm so...hungrrryyyyy," Naruto moaned.

Kiyasha almost cried with relief. She picked up her hand and softly smacked him.

"One of these days, Naruto, you are going to kill me," she joked.

* * *

"Thank you very much," the monk murmured, bowing. He looked up and met Asuma's brown eyes. "That sash on your waist...

"Asuma, you have one just as Chiriku did. It coming from being the prized bounty of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Please, be careful."

Asuma bowed back, and Shikamaru exchanged looks with Tzurin.

"Don't worry that much about me!" Asuma cried, suddenly joking. "After all, my bounty is worth fifty-thousand more than Chiriku's! Beating me won't be that easy!"

**TBC**


	3. A Devil's Scythe

**Chapter Three.**

**IT'S GETTING INTENSE!!**

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

After Naruto's collapse, Kakashi decided it was time for a lunch break. The two Jounin, Naruto, and Kiyasha were seated at Ichiraku's ramen bar, with Tsuki lying at Kiyasha's feet.

"Huh? Where is the cute Akane-san?" Kakashi moaned.

Kiyasha grunted and smacked him upside the head.

"She went on a little trip," the old man said. "So these two are here!"

"Hi there, I'm Nishi!" cried one of the new helpers.

"I'm Matsu!" the second cried.

Almost instantly they spotted Kiyasha and leaned in, close to her face. Instinctively, Kiyasha drew back and Tsuki growled.

"Oh! And they have a pretty girl, too!" Nishi cried, flashing a smile at Kiyasha.

She lifted her upper lip in disgust and shoved his face away from hers. She pointed to Naruto, who looked like he was dead on the counter.

"Just get him his pork ramen, already!" she snapped.

"Sorry for the wait!" Nishi cried, slapping a big bowl down before Naruto.

"Finally!" Naruto cried, snapping up and cracking his chopsticks apart. "ITADAKIMASU!"

"You fool!" the old man roared, snapping up the bowl. "You put your finger in there!" and he dumped the bowl of ramen on Nishi's head.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

Moments later, Nishi came out with another bowl. But he tripped and the ramen ended up on Matsu. And they started yelling things at one another.

Naruto still looked dead. Kakashi looked like the two before him were complete idiots. Yamato just stared. Kiyasha raised an eyebrow and sweat dropped.

Moments after that, Naruto was slurping ramen happily while Kiyasha and the other two ate like civilized human beings.

"Okay, Kiyasha, I think it's time I start teaching you Rasengan," Kakashi said, suddenly.

Kiyasha looked up from her ramen and grinned.

"First, we're going to need some water balloons—"

"No," Kiyasha interrupted, smirking. Kakashi looked at her.

"What do you mean 'no'?" he asked. Kiyasha grinned.

"I've already passed the first and second stage. It's the third I need to do," she explained.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her. Naruto and Yamato gaped.

"When did you actually _start_ training?" Kakashi questioned.

"Two weeks ago," Kiyasha replied, proudly. "But when you've got Sasubu breathing down your neck, and competing with Tzurin as to who can master their jutsu first—"

"_Two weeks!"_ Kakashi gaped. Kiyasha blinked.

"Yes..." she muttered, confusedly. "Isn't that the amount of time it took Naruto to learn it...?"

Naruto grinned at Kiyasha. "That's right!"

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his gray hair. Then, he smiled.

"All right then," he said, at last. "We'll still need balloons, though."

Kiyasha beamed up at the elder Jounin sensei.

"The third step of the Rasengan requires supreme amount of control," Kakashi began, in a lecturing voice. "In the final stage, which emphasizes the control, you will need to combine what you learned in the first two steps and make a ball shape shell around your spinning chakra. To assist you a little, you will be using a balloon to make this shell, to make it a regular shape."

Kiyasha smiled again.

"Arigatou, Kakashi-sensei!" she cried, beaming.

"Once I'm done eating, we can go train, Kiyasha-neechan!" Naruto cried, slurping his tenth bowl of ramen.

"Well..." Kakashi murmured, suddenly. "Before that, there's a little something I want to explain."

Naruto looked at Kiyasha for an explanation, but she was just as confused as him.

"Naruto, I'm going to show you something really interesting."

"Something...interesting?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There's a lot to explain, even during this lunch break," Kakashi explained.

"Geez!" Naruto moaned. "Not another one of your complicate explanations!"

"Don't worry," Kakashi murmured. "I'm good with words."

A half hour later, Naruto finished eating and the group of two Jounin and two Gennin left Ichiraku Ramen.

"Thank you for coming!"

"Yamato, I'll leave the bill to you," Kakashi said, taking Kiyasha's and Naruto's shoulders and leading them out the door.

"What?!" Yamato sputtered. "Surely the Sempai should pay!"

Kakashi suddenly become smooth and slick. Kiyasha rolled her eyes.

"For a man that you respect, there is no such thing as "sempai" or "kohai"," Kakashi paused. "But...out of all my kohai, you're the only one I recognize." He paused again, sighing. "But, if you insist—"

"No, no!" Yamato cried, suddenly blushing and eager. "Not at all, allow me to pay for this!"

Kakashi flashed the peace sign and Naruto sniggered. Kiyasha rolled her eyes and Tsuki shook her elegant head, disappointed in Yamato.

They made their way back to the training grounds, and once there, Naruto began pestering Kakashi.

"So what are you gonna show me?"

"Be patient," Kakashi chided. Kiyasha snorted.

"Being patient is overrated," she muttered, and Naruto sniggered.

"Everything in good time, Naruto. And that goes for you, as well, Kiyasha."

Kiyasha and Naruto exchanged looks and Kiyasha shrugged.

"First we have to make sure..." Kakashi paused. "Before we started training, I told you one important piece of information about chakra manipulation, right?"

"Ah!" Naruto cried, lifting his pointer finger. "Yeah! That! Uh..."

He blushed and grinned sheepishly. "Heh..."

"Translation: He forgot," Kiyasha explained, knocking Naruto upside the head.

Kiyasha half-listened as Kakashi slowly explained to Naruto about changing the shape of chakra into something more deadly.

"Awesome!" Naruto shrieked, punching the sky. "I guess I'll be able to whip up a new jutsu in no time at all! Oh man, this seems so easy, too!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Really? If that's true then there wasn't much point in my inventing Chidori, eh?"

Naruto blinked. Kiyasha sighed, tapping her foot irritably. Tsuki had fallen asleep on the grass.

"That's the interesting thing I wanted to show you," Kakashi explained, lifting a hand and forming Rasengan.

* * *

The twins exchanged looks as Shikamaru voiced his concern for Asuma. Sasubu's pale eyes flickered to the sensei, also wondering why the Jounin had suddenly stopped smoking. Tzurin watched her old friend, noting how changed he was.

"You hope I never quit, eh?" Asuma joked.

Tzurin flashed by him in a blur of blue and purple, and Toboe lunged over his head. Sasubu was in the lead, Tsume at his side. Beside Asuma was Shikamaru, dropping from a branch above and leaping forward.

"Shikamaru, I appreciate your concern," Asuma muttered, staring ahead. "But I didn't stop because I'm upset about Chiriku."

Shikamaru glanced at his sensei and Tzurin and Sasubu exchanged looks.

"I stopped because if these guys managed to take _him_ out," Asuma explained. "I can't afford any distractions. And neither can any of you."

* * *

Kiyasha sank to her knees, and braced her arms on the ground. Thousands of panting Naruto clones surrounded her, all of them panting and exhausted. Tsuki nuzzled Kiyasha affectionately, and whined. Kakashi glanced at Yamato, who had is painted palm out, and his eyes set.

"This Mass Shadow Clone method is pretty wild," Kakashi muttered, glowing. "But it produces amazing results."

Suddenly, all the Naruto's lunged to their feet with a wild battle cry and began forming Rasengan. Kiyasha ran a hand through her tangled hair, then stumbled to her feet. With a deep breath, she blew up a balloon and tucked it into her palm. She slapped her other hand over it and focused, squeezing her eyes together.

There were ten clones of Kiyasha, all forming the Rasengan to help her. She had more chakra than Kakashi and Yamato, but much less than Naruto. The Shadow Clone method of teaching would work with her, and Tzurin, as well. Just not as many clones as Naruto.

Suddenly, Naruto's attempted Wind-Rasengan exploded and sent the Naruto's whipping through the air.

Kiyasha duck as the real one flipped over her head. She let her attempted Rasengan explode, then turned to him.

"Are you all right?" she asked, her green eyes glowing.

Naruto muttered something incoherent, and she could tell he was cursing over and over in his head about how making a nature-like Rasengan was impossible.

Kiyasha sighed, knowing it was useless, then turned and picked up another balloon.

_Rotation,_ she ordered herself, clutching the balloon without popping it. She could feel the air whirling around itself inside the balloon. _Power,_ she hissed, forming thicker, denser chakra to whirl inside the balloon.

_Control!_ she screamed at herself, and let out a gasp for air as her own power struggled against her will to tear loose.

After a long moment of struggling, her own power defeated her and exploded.

Kiyasha, exhausted, collapsed, panting. Tsuki was at her side in a moment, nuzzling her shoulder.

"Oh, Tsuki," she muttered. "I can't do this. I barely keep control—"

A hissing, bubbling sound cut her off.

Kiyasha whipped around to see Naruto's chakra leaking out and turning orange to form a bubbling mass of poison-like chakra around him.

Her eyes shot open as the chakra hissed and bubbled and turned into long ears, vicious fangs, and...

_Nine tails._

Naruto let out a ragged, terrible roar and swung out with his hand.

His hand that had turned into a hideous claw.

Kiyasha let out a cry of pain as the giant paw walloped her across the stomach, sending her skidding across the plain. All of Naruto's clones let out cries and moans of burning, then disappeared into poufs of smoke.

Kiyasha closed her eyes and let darkness consume her.

- & -

"Kiyasha! _Tenzou!"_ Kakashi hissed.

"I know! I know!" Yamato shouted back.

The wood statues shot forward, twisted, and smashed into Naruto, pinning him, painfully, to the ground.

"If we keep this up, Naruto is really going to get hurt," Yamato said, between pants. He watched as Kakashi walked over to the injured and unconscious Kiyasha. Kakashi bent down and lightly touched her stomach, examining the torn fishnet and the three, deep, gouging lines the bleed.

"And I can't hold back the Nine-Tails forever," Yamato muttered, as Kakashi picked up Kiyasha and carried her over to him. "Look what happened this time. Next time, she could be killed."

"We have no other options," Kakashi said, reasonably. "Whether Naruto completes his jutsu or not depends on you."

"...I know," Yamato muttered, his brown eyes flickering over Kiyasha.

Tsuki appeared and nuzzled Kiyasha's shoulder, whining. She licked the Honatetsu's face and then settled down beside her, curling her tail around Kiyasha's bent knees and resting her head on Kiyasha's shoulders.

* * *

Tzurin watched as Asuma launched his kunai knives at the white-haired Akatsuki member, with a long, fatal-looking scythe. She ground her teeth together, adrenaline pumping through her veins for a fight. Toboe was crouched beside her, his hackles raised.

The Akatsuki member spun to his feet, whacked the kunai away from his face and lashed out with this scythe, barely missing Asuma's face.

_There!_

Tzurin launched herself from her hiding place, and raced forward. She whipped out Wakizashi sword — a favorite of hers — and watched Sasubu copy her on the other side of the white-haired guy with a fatal scythe.

Toboe and Tsume lunged out and rushed forward on powerful legs, covering the Akatsuki from in front and behind.

The member tried to break free.

"Too late," Shikamaru smirked. His shadow was locked onto the member's feet, holding him in place.

Tzurin and Sasubu plunged their swords home, striking through the member's middle section. Sasubu's ground through the stomach, kidneys, and pricked a lung. Tzurin's took out the heart, lungs, and pierced the second lung. Tsume leaped forward and smashed his powerful jaws into the Akatsuki's shoulder, while Toboe had his left knee torn to shreds.

"That hurt, damn it," the Akatsuki member said in a bored voice. "What's your problem, anyway?"

Tzurin and Sasubu stared, their eyes shooting open, showing too much white. Tsume and Toboe were still locked onto the Akatsuki's limbs, growling and snarling as blood spurted from his wounds.

"What the..." Tzurin hissed, her blue eyes flaring. "We aimed for his vitals."

Sasubu shoved his sword in harder.

"Don't grind them in so hard!" the Akatsuki shrieked. "It _hurts!"_

"He's...invulnerable," Sasubu hissed.

"Now you get it," the member snapped. "And who are you guys anyway?" His eyes flickered from Sasubu's face, to Asuma's, then to Asuma's sash.

"Ha, really now," he snapped. "This stinks. You mean I need to go back into that stink hole of a bounty station...?"

"We are shinobi from Konoha," Tzurin snapped, grinding her teeth together as Toboe snarled again.

"We came to stop and wipe out you Akatsuki bastards," Sasubu added, gripping his own sword, as Tsume growled

"You Akatsuki move into two-man teams," Asuma muttered. "But we planned to handle one of you first, then deal with the other." He paused. "But you obviously possess great skills..."

Sasubu glanced over and met Shikamaru's light brown eyes. He was grinding his teeth together, and his arms were beginning to shake.

_Damn it,_ Sasubu cursed. _Shikamaru can't keep up with this guy. I don't think any of us can..._

"Looks like you went after the wrong guy," the Akatsuki sneered.

"Where's the other guy?" Asuma ordered.

A sudden vicious explosion tore apart the section of roof that Shikamaru had been perched on.

"_SHIKAMARU!" _Tzurin screamed.

"Your jutsu wore off!" the first member shrieked, triumphantly.

Shikamaru rolled out from the explosion of vicious smoke, and Asuma blurred in front of him, knives flashing and eyes blaring.

"_Tzurin! Sasubu! Step back!_" Asuma ordered.

Instantly, the two shinobi released their swords and flipped backwards. Toboe and Tsume released the member's knee and shoulder and vanished, reappearing beside Tzurin and Sasubu.

The Honatetsu's then disappeared, then reappeared behind Asuma. Sasubu knelt beside Shikamaru and quickly healed the minor wounds, helping his friend to his feet. Toboe and Tsume stationed themselves on either side of Asuma, their hackles raised, fangs dripping, and snarls echoing.

"Right in the middle of things," snarled the second Akatsuki with creepy blue-green eyes. Tzurin glared into those eyes, her own burning. "Surprisingly money came looking for you, Hidan."

"Kakuzu," the one called Hidan hissed. "Don't interfere. These guys will be my ceremional offerings. You handle the money."

"In that case, it's fine," the one called Kakuzu replied. "Just don't let your guard down, or you'll die."

"Then..." Hidan hissed. "Why are you telling me that? If they can kill me, I want them to kill me."

Hidan whirled around and Tzurin barely concealed a scream. A circle with a triangle inside was suddenly painted around Hidan's feet, sealing him inside it.

"Impossible, isn't it?" Hidan snickered.

"I'm gonna attack," Asuma hissed, suddenly. "Keep the immortal guy bound with Kage Shibai Jutsu, Shikamaru."

"That's too risky," Shikamaru muttered. "That's not like you, Asuma."

"I'll go with you," Tzurin volunteered.

"Don't you get it!" Asuma snapped in a slightly panicked voice. "That's the best move we have right now. Those guys are way better than me...! Tzurin, Sasubu, you concentrate on the other Akatsuki guy as Shikamaru's back up!"

Sasubu glanced at meet Shikamaru's eyes. They were flickered with panic.

"If we know our enemy's power isn't that all the more reason too," Sasubu began. "If we make a tactical retreat we'd have a better chance to come up with a better plan."

"Don't assume these guys will just let us retreat," Asuma chided. "If we run away without fighting, then we'll all be exterminated. If that happens, the risk facing Konoha only becomes greater." He paused. "The penetrating military forces, you've got to be able to play moves like this at a time."

Tzurin and Sasubu exchanged sad looks.

"Jesus!" shrieked Hidan, suddenly. "You guys had to go slashing away at me! Those scum who don't understand the pain of others...shall face the wrath of God."

"A "gambit"?" Shikamaru questioned Asuma. "...doesn't really suite you."

"Hee hee," Asuma muttered. "I won't just be a sacrificial piece, because you're here."

Shikamaru's fingers snapped together, and Asuma charged his knife with chakra.

He lunged forward and met Hidan's scythe in midair.

They battled back and forth for a moment when Sasubu's sharp eyes suddenly caught a scythe lengthening in size and snapping out to catch Asuma around the neck—

"Captain Asuma!" Sasubu cried out, and Tsume barked.

Asuma swung up a knife just in time, though he winced as a longer edge pierced his cheek.

Shikamaru, Tzurin, and Asuma's eyes all widened in unison. Blood.

Hidan flipped back as Asuma launched himself forward. Tzurin watched in terror and mortification as Hidan swung his scythe up and slurped up Asuma's blood.

"_Katon Haisekisho!"_

Asuma's jutsu surrounded Hidan as he stepped back into his circle.

A moment of silence, then...

_BOOM!_

Tzurin and Sasubu stared through the mist, their eyes slowly widening as Hidan's deformed shape suddenly came into view.

"It hurts...right?" he muttered, showing his right arm, which had turned black and white, bone-like things were thrown over it. As if he had turned inside out.

Tzurin whipped over to Asuma and gasped. His hand was blotched, burned and bloody. He winced as his chakra knife slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground.

"You have seen God's wrath," Hidan snickered.

"What the hell?" Sasubu muttered, his pale eyes wide.

"Well? Are you able to understand the pain of others a little more, now?" Hidan taunted.

_What is that supposed to mean?_ Tzurin wondered, grinding her teeth together. _Asuma's arm was burnt for his jutsu? But...that's impossible...isn't it?_

"Your fate is sealed," Hidan proclaimed, standing. "From now on, I begin the ceremony."

Tzurin let out a gasped shriek and took a step back. Sasubu and Shikamaru stared, their intelligent eyes wide.

Hidan's face was morphed into black and white, with a dot in the center of his forehead.

"Let us enjoy some exquisite pain! _Together!"_

"What..._happened?_" Sasubu demanded in a hushed whisper. "Asuma's been..."

Tzurin stared in mute horror as Shikamaru muttered: "Is this possible...?"

Hidan's hysterical laughter cut him off.

"Everything is prepared!" the Akatsuki member shrieked. "Get ready for some serious pain!"

Asuma charged up his chakra knife, sharpening his chakra and lengthening it into a sword. He lunged forward, catching Hidan in minimal surprise.

Then, the white-haired member whirled, and stabbed himself in the thigh.

Asuma let out a painful moan, slipped, and tumbled across the concrete. His thigh bleeding from a sudden stab wound.

Hidan laughed again, shrieking at Asuma.

"It hurts, right? It hurts?! And I didn't touch any vital part, but you can still feel pain," Hidan snickered. "When other people die, this pain enters my body! The pain takes over and changes into pleasure!"

Tzurin and Sasubu exchanged horrified looks.

"Asuma..." Sasubu muttered. "He's controlling his leg..."

Tzurin's sea-blue eyes narrowed and her expression whirled from horror and anger.

"He pierced his own leg," she muttered.

"I've already cursed you!" Hidan shrieked again.

"I get it!" Sasubu cried out, suddenly.

Hidan's laughter cut him off.

"After this sweet start, where do you want to be stabbed next?" Hidan paused, then swung up his spear and poised it above his heart. "Unless you want this to end now?"

"Kagenui doesn't work on him!" Sasubu shouted. "Grab him with your Kage Shibari No Jutsu instead! _Hurry!"_

"I'm already at it!" Shikamaru snapped back at him.

Shikamaru's shadow lengthened and shot across the concrete, breaking Hidan's circle.

"_DIE—"_

"_I WON'T LET YOU!" _Shikamaru screamed.

There was a pause that seemingly lasted forever.

Hidan was caught.

"Well done, Lazy Ass," Sasubu muttered, exhaling loudly. Tzurin remained silent.

"This thing again," Hidan hissed, his body suddenly quivering.

"Sasubu, how long until backup arrives?" Tzurin hissed, quietly.

"Another ten minutes," Sasubu replied, his eyes on the enemy.

"Hm..." Tzurin's eyes became thoughtful, though her expression was still very hostile. "Damn it, what would we do? We can't attack or Asuma-sensei will..."

"Ugh," Sasubu snapped. "To be able to kill the opponent..." he paused. "In order to do this jutsu there must be some rule, or risk. Some kind of loophole associated with it."

"If you're gonna draw it out," Kakuzu snarled. "Then I'll step in. We can't let this small fortune get away—"

"I told you stay out of this, Kakuzu," Hidan snapped. "I'm good enough to take on all of them."

Tzurin and Sasubu exchanged looks at the sudden change in Shikamaru's expression.

_He's figured something out,_ Tzurin summarized, her lips twisting into a smirk. _They are so screwed._

"You onto something, Shikamaru?" Sasubu questioned.

"Yeah," Shikamaru muttered in reply. "Here we go, Asuma-sensei."

Shikamaru shakily moved to his feet, his light eyes trained on Hidan. He shifted slowly to the left, agonizingly slowly.

"Come on, Shikamaru," Sasubu encouraged. Tzurin's eyes flickered from Shikamaru's sweating face, to Sasubu's intent eyes, and then to Hidan's foot, that was slowly sliding out of the circle.

"I've got to get him out of that circle," Shikamaru explained, through haggard breathing. "If I can...his jutsu...and his curse...will be...dispelled."

"You're sure?" Tzurin asked.

"That huge scythe," Shikamaru muttered. "There's a reason for the three blades. From what I can tell, he only needs to hit one attack, but he uses them to increase his range and chances of connecting. It doesn't matter if it's a serious wound or a minor one — their only purpose is to draw blood."

Tzurin stared at Shikamaru, a conclusion clicking in her mind.

"Basically, if he lands one attack—"

"He can use that jutsu to kill his opponent," Tzurin interrupted, her blue eyes narrowing as Hidan threw back his head and shrieked a laugh.

**TBC**


	4. What We All Knew Would Happen

**Chapter Four.**

**MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!**

**I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

"The scythe is used to draw blood," the blonde girl continued. "And he…drinks the blood, doesn't he?"

Sasubu and Shikamaru nodded to Tzurin, their faces grave.

"The person's blood he drinks," Shikamaru explained. "Along with being in the circle allows him to turn pain into pleasure and curse his victim."

Hidan swore at Shikamaru.

"Shut up," Tzurin snarled. "You talk too much." _You're unbelievable, Shikamaru, you __really are._

"Shut up all you little—" Hidan swore again. "After I get free I'm gonna rip all of you to little shreds! Then burn you to ash! Then grind you to dust!"

"There is no "after" for you!" Shikamaru snarled, and with one final effort, he tore Hidan out of his circle.

"He's out!" Sasubu, Tzurin, and Shikamaru all yelled.

"Right!" Asuma called. "Let's see about this little "curse" now!"

Hidan's eyes went wide as one of Asuma's shuriken sliced open his left ear, a minor wound.

Asuma's ears remained intact.

Shikamaru's hand sign changed, and shadows suddenly reared up from the ground and snapped around Hidan's body, lashing him tightly. Trapping him.

"I'm wiped out," Shikamaru confessed. "I won't be able to last much longer."

"It'll be enough," Asuma answered. "Good work, Shikamaru."

Asuma stumbled to his feet and began walking towards Hidan.

"Kakuzu! Help me out!" Hidan demanded as Asuma drew closer.

"I told if you were careless you'd die," Kakuzu replied, coolly.

Asuma's chakra sword swung up and sliced the air...

Slicing Hidan's head off.

The said head bounced and rolled across the sidewalk, blood spewing everywhere.

"We got him," Tzurin murmured, letting out a long sigh.

"One down, one to go," Sasubu added, stepping forward readily.

"If you needed a hand, you should've asked me earlier," Kakuzu chastised.

"SCREW YOU AND YOUR SLOW ASS! YOU LET THAT HAPPEN!"

Tzurin's knees gave out as she sank to the ground. Sasubu's mouth dropped open in wordless horror.

Hidan's head just yelled.

"You're a goddamned head you're yelling at me?!" Kakuzu roared.

"Fine," Hidan muttered. "Kakuzu, can you get my body, _pleeeaaasssseee?"_

Kakuzu's ringed hand snapped out and grabbed Hidan's head by the white hair.

"You idiot! Bring my body _here!"_

"Your head's lighter," Kakuzu replied.

"Will you stop pulling my hair?" Hidan shrieked at Kakuzu.

"If you're going to start feeling pain, start with your neck," Kakuzu snapped.

Despite the horror she witnessing, Tzurin smirked. _That sounds like something Kiyasha would say now._

"Punk!" Hidan roared. "You wouldn't believe the pain in my neck! I mean, _look at it!_ This isn't your every day wound!" Hidan's eyes rolled over and trained on Asuma. "You! You know how much this hurts? Cutting off my head like that!? It freaking_ stings!"_

"What the fu—"

"I'm not really sure how to handle the situation either," Sasubu muttered, interrupting Tzurin's cursing.

Tsume and Toboe slunk forward from the hiding places and took stations beside Tzurin and Sasubu. Toboe tilted his head and nuzzled Shikamaru, licking his face. He whined once and Tzurin glanced back in time to see Shikamaru shudder and fall to the ground.

"Shikamaru!" she cried out.

"He's at his limit, Tzu," Sasubu said, putting a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder as Tsume lowered his head and snarled at Hidan's head.

Kakuzu suddenly vanished and reappeared in front of Asuma, walloping him across the face with his foot.

"Asuma-sensei!" the three younger ones cried out. Tsume and Toboe's hackles shot up and their growls doubled in volume.

Tzurin let out a moan of disgust as Kakuzu stamped Hidan's head onto his neck, and strange red tube-like things shot out of his arm. The red things whirled and wrapped around Hidan's neck, _sewing_ it back on.

"Don't move too much," Kakuzu warned. "Or it'll come off again."

"Okay, the freaky-jutsu-level-of-the-world just shot up about seventy-five percent," Sasubu muttered, his pale eyes narrowing.

"What are these mutts doing here?" Hidan snapped. "They won't help you—"

Tsume's vicious snarling cut him off. Though the snarl wasn't as terrifying as Tsuki's, it was still rather vicious and blood-chilling. The wolves' yellow eyes were alight with anger, and their muscles were clenched with the adrenaline rush.

"Ready?" Sasubu hissed.

Tzurin tossed her lightning-blonde hair back in response.

Sasubu's hands flashed together, then came apart with blue tendrils of chakra stringing them together. He shoved his hands forward and his blue force field-like chakra shield shot forward about twenty feet, and forced Hidan and Kakuzu stumbling back a few feet.

Tzurin whipped out her smaller Summoning scroll and bit her thumb to provide the blood. She wiped it down, flashed her hand over it, and several puffs of smoke appeared.

Several kunai launched out from the cloud, and when the smoke cleared, Tzurin's form was visible.

In her tan hands was a brown shaft, the shaft of Naginata sword. The Naginata sword of the Metal Manipulator. She had taken it after they had scouted Kiyasha's battle area.

Tzurin's sixteen-year-old form twisted and the metal tip of the Naginata sword lashed down and bit into the earth as two gray and red blurs shot forward.

Tsume and Toboe's snarling intensified as they launched forward.

Toboe's hind legs bunched up, and then he leaped up and over Kakuzu, and into Hidan, his teeth sinking into Hidan's black and white flesh, around his newly sewn neck.

"Shit! My neck!" Hidan screeched, and he whipped about, trying to fling the red wolf off.

Suddenly, the three point scythe swung up and Toboe was sent flying across the sidewalk. He managed to stumble to his feet, and no blood was drawn, but his left, hind leg was convulsing and he sank to the ground, whimpering.

Tsume let out a terrible snarl and took Kakuzu by the foot, his powerful jaws breaking the strange skin. Kakuzu whirled, grabbed Tsume by the ear, and chucked the gray wolf across the sidewalk, sending him headlong into a wall.

Sasubu's hands shot out, and the blue chakra strings whipped through the air and caught Kakuzu's joints, holding his legs in place, disabling him to move.

Tzurin launched herself forward a moment later. She swung her Naginata sword up high.

Kakuzu's hands whipped together and the strange red things came undone around his wrists.

His forearms were detached from his arms.

"Tzurin! Sasubu!" Shikamaru cried out, eyes wide with horror.

Kakuzu's hands were wrapped around their necks, tightening painfully. Tzurin dropped her Naginata sword, then swung her hands up, trying to pry Kakuzu's rubber-like hands off her neck.

Asuma's chakra knife suddenly lashed out, swinging viciously at Hidan.

"Asuma! Behind you!" Shikamaru cried out.

Hidan's three point scythe whipped through the air, right towards Asuma's neck.

Tzurin saw blood fly into the air.

But it was Hidan's. His own scythe was embedded into his own midsection.

Asuma's dark eyes shot open as Hidan's maniac laughter shrieked through the air.

"Idiot!" Hidan roared. "It isn't the same!"

Shikamaru lunged to his feet and stumbled a run towards Hidan.

"Finally, you'll taste the pain that will kill you—"

"STOP!" Shikamaru screamed.

Hidan whirled and stabbed his spear through his own self, destroying his vital organs and sending his blood flying everywhere.

Blood poured from Asuma's mouth and abdomen. The Captain slumped forward, facedown, into the sidewalk, and did not move.

**It's more dramatic in the Manga...**

**TBC**


	5. The Fallen Sarutobi

**Final Chapter for this arc.**

**I do not own Naruto or Miss You, by Miley Cyrus.**

**(Even though I strongly dislike her.)**

* * *

"This feels good," Hidan muttered, rolling his eyes back in pleasure.

"ASUMA!" Shikamaru cried out, in a voice so terrible that Tzurin fought to keep her gaze full of hatred towards Kakuzu.

"Do not look at me like that, girl," Kakuzu snarled, his hand tightening. "I did not kill your precious sensei, Hidan did. Take your revenge on him."

Tzurin's expression did not change.

"You are a vicious one," Kakuzu complimented. "You'd be fun to fight if I was not so above your own level."

Hidan's skin faded back to a normal color.

"I'm done here, Kakuzu," he said, leaning on his scythe, comfortably.

"I'll finish quickly, then," Kakuzu responded, and his hands tightened around Sasubu and Tzurin.

"BASTARDS!" Shikamaru roared, racing toward Kakuzu.

But the Akatsuki member with strange eyes simply swung Sasubu around, and rammed him into Shikamaru, sending them skidding across the concrete, and managing to gag Sasubu even more.

Suddenly, a thousand black birds flew down from the sky, and swarmed over Kakuzu and Hidan, shrieking.

"Trying to blind us, huh?" Hidan roared through them.

Suddenly, two teams appeared. Raidou's black sword sliced through the birds, a millimeter away from Kakuzu's face. Chouji had picked up Asuma.

Tsume and Toboe were suddenly on their feet, after Ino had quickly healed them. The two wolves went racing through the cloud of birds, and separated.

Tsume raced forward, and with a vicious snarl, leaped up, and fastened his jaws on the red things holding Kakuzu's hand to his arm. His powerful teeth snapped the red things in half, and Kakuzu's hand flew from Sasubu's neck. The male Honatetsu sank to his knees, coughing and gagging.

Toboe leaped over Tzurin's shoulder and smashed into Kakuzu's torso, sending the Akatsuki member to his back. Then, the red wolf whirled, leaped, and snapped the red things, so Kakuzu's hand released Tzurin's neck.

The cloud of birds thickened and their shrieks intensified as Toboe wormed his way over to Tzurin. He stood in front of her, snarling as the birds cried out.

Suddenly, Kakuzu and Hidan disappeared in clouds of smoke.

"Come on, Tzurin, up you get," murmured Raidou, taking Tzurin in his arms as Toboe ceased his snarling.

Tzurin was carried up to the top of a building, where Asuma lay in Chouji's arms. Ino had Shikamaru, and Sasubu was sitting there, slumped forward, his pale eyes shining with sadness and self-anger.

"Chouji! Bring Asuma-sensei to Konoha Hospital immediately! Ino! You accompany him, heal him along the way if you can!"

Kakuzu suddenly appeared.

"I won't let all that bounty get away," he snarled.

"We'll buy you some time!" the raven-man snapped, whirling to face the pair of Akatsuki. "When you see an opening, get out of here!"

"No matter how much you struggle, I am sacrificing to my god!" Hidan roared, waving his hand. "Can't you wait a bit? It's just getting to the good part." He suddenly clamped a hand to his head, moaning. "A little bit? C'mon..."

Kakuzu appeared. "Prepare yourselves for the worst. We'll be back in a few minutes."

And they vanished.

Asuma coughed.

"Ino! Chouji! Get Asuma-sensei to the hospital!" Shikamaru ordered.

"Hurry!" Chouji urged Ino, as she knelt forward to...

"It's all right," Asuma whispered.

Tzurin sank down beside Sasubu, rubbing her neck. Her eyes were on Asuma, but she knew not to intrude. Toboe came up beside her and nuzzled her, pushing himself into her lap and whining. Tsume sat loyally beside Sasubu, his yellow eyes on the horizon.

The two siblings sat beside one another, pretending not to hear Asuma's final words of farewell to his students.

"This is not fair," Tzurin muttered, tears welling in her eyes.

"Life is never fair," Sasubu replied, stonily. "Look at us and our current family situation."

"But," Tzurin choked on her tears. "Asuma-sensei...and Kurenai—oh, Kurenai!" she wailed quietly, burying her head in her hands. Toboe whimpered, licking Tzurin's teary face.

"It'll be all right, Tzu," Sasubu said, soothingly. "The kid'll have me and you and Kiya to look after 'em. And Shikamaru and Ino and Chouji, too. It'll be all right."

"So many people," Tzurin whispered, between her tears. "So many people losing their father, mother, brother, sister, cousin, or lover...so many people affected by this. And all because one goddamned man feels like taking over the world."

"I know, Tzu," Sasubu muttered, his eyes falling on Ino's teary face. "I know."

"Tzurin! Sasubu!" Shikamaru barked out, suddenly. The twins looked up. "Asuma-sensei...he would like to speak with you...one last time."

Tzurin and Sasubu slowly stood, went to Asuma, and knelt beside him.

"Honatetsu Tzurin," Asuma whispered, a smile playing across his lips. "You are...a beautiful and talented...kunoichi. You...I know you'll take care of everyone...when I'm gone. You...will forever be remembered. Keep that...Kazekage in line, too..."

"Y-y-yes sir," Tzurin whispered, rubbing her eyes.

"Honatetsu Sasubu," Asuma whispered, his eyes blinking slowly. "You are a true genius...you are an amazing shinobi...with good skills and senses...I know you will take care of everyone, as well. You...will be an amazing advisory, some day...Keep 'em all in line while I'm gone, okay?"

Sasubu shakily smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And...Tell your sister...Tell Kiyasha that she is to look after Naruto...tell Kiyasha she's beautiful and strong...and that I expect her to...to watch over...Isamu, with you two."

Tzurin and Sasubu's eyes widened, then they both nodded.

"You promise...you'll watch over Isamu?"

"We promise, Asuma-sensei."

"Good, good..." the shinobi murmured. He paused, then smiled. "Those cigarettes I quit smoking...they're in my pouch. Shikamaru, I just want...one last...smoke."

With a teary smile, Shikamaru chose a cigarette, placed it between Asuma's bloody lips, and then lit it.

After a few moments, the cigarette fell and rolled away.

"_SENSEI!" _Team Ten cried out. Tzurin buried her face in her hands. Sasubu put an arm around his twin sister's shoulder, his pale eyes on Asuma.

"Like a shinobi till the end," Sasubu murmured.

Tzurin watched as Shikamaru picked up the dropped cigarette and pushed it between his lips.

The sky suddenly darkened and rain dripped down upon the mourning teams.

"The sky cries for the fallen Sarutobi," Tzurin murmured, repeating what Kiyasha had said when they had seen the Third's grave.

Shikamaru coughed as he inhaled the smoke.

"I knew I'd hate smoking," he muttered, between sobs. "The damn smoke...always gets in my eyes..."

* * *

Kiyasha repeated the steps in her mind. One...two...three!

There was a vicious explosion as Kiyasha's hand clenched around a spiraling surface.

It was clear-colored blue, but something different fueled it. Streaks of red, green, yellow, and silver whirled through the Rasengan, marking it as a Rasengan of the Houkou. The clones of Kiyasha vanished in an explosion of smoke as she cried out in victory.

"I GOT IT!" she roared, slamming the Rasengan into the ground, sending a rocky explosion throughout the clearing. "I GOT IT—"

"Kiyasha-neechan! Look out! Another one's turning into the Nine-Tails!"

Kiyasha vanished as Yamato slammed his hands together and shoved the Nine-Tail's power back inside of Naruto.

She reappeared and trotted across the suddenly muddy surface of the clearing, for it had begun to rain. She knelt beside the exhausted Naruto and lightly touched his tousled hair.

"You all right, Naruto?" she asked. Naruto shook his head as Kakashi appeared.

"I can't do this!" Naruto screamed, waving his arms and yelling angrily. "There's so much to remember, and it's all impossible! It's like trying to look left and right at the same time!"

Kiyasha stared at him, blankly, while Kakashi chuckled.

"Now, Naruto, I would've thought that you could do that," he said, smiling lightly beneath his mask.

"What?" asked Naruto, turning to his sensei.

_Kage Bunshin No Jutsu._

Another Kakashi appeared, to the left of the original. The original tilted his head and looked right, while the copy looked left.

"Looking left and right at the same time," Kiyasha whispered, smirking.

"I've got it!" Naruto roared, leaping to his feet.

"Did he figure something out?" Kakashi asked Kiyasha as Naruto whirled and raced back to his position, away from the rest of them.

"Usually when he starts yelling like that it means_ something_ went through that brain of his," Kiyasha replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Well, you got the Rasengan," Kakashi congratulated. "Now, do you mind explaining to me _how_ you're going to change it into something with the Elements?"

Kiyasha shrugged.

"Basically, all I'm going to _try_ to do is," she began. "Simply activate Control on one or so elements, then lift them and mix them with the Rasengan, whirl them around, sort of. When the Rasengan explodes onto my intended target, it should tear them apart with the force of my chakra, but also with the elements. Therefore doubling the power and and cutting the time of destruction down."

"And only you can do this jutsu," Kakashi said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Only you, who was control over all five elements."

Kiyasha nodded, smirking.

* * *

"I see," Tsunade murmured, rubbing her forehead, as if suddenly exhausted.

Tzurin, Sasubu, Shikamaru, Toboe, and Tsume all stood before their Hokage, watching her carefully.

"What about Kurenai-sensei?" Tzurin questioned, her blue eyes glistening still.

"You three notify everyone of the funeral," Tsunade answered, slowly. "I'll tell Kurenai myself—"

"No," Shikamaru interrupted. "I'll do it. Asuma-sensei wanted me to tell her something."

* * *

"Naruto, for the village joke, you sure are amazing," Kiyasha complimented, beaming at her little brother with pride.

He had produced two clones, one to form the Rasengan, and the other to add the Wind. Naruto himself was clutching his hand.

"I think I got it!" he cried out, happily.

"Naruto, I gotta say," Kakashi muttered, smiling slightly. "I think I really like you now!"

"AAAAHHHH!" Naruto wailed, losing control.

The real Naruto stumbled to his feet, pointing an accusing finger at Kakashi.

"Don't say weird shit like that, you friggin' idiot!" he roared. "I finally got the jutsu and your creepy ass threw me off!"

"I didn't mean it like that—"

"_Back off!" _Naruto roared. Kiyasha laughed hysterically.

- & -

Suddenly, Sasubu appeared where Yamato was sitting.

"I have a report," he muttered, gravely, turning about. "Where's my sister?"

- & -

"Kakashi-sempai!" Yamato called out, suddenly. "We have to stop training and return to the village right away!"

"_What?!_" Naruto roared.

"Sasubu? Thank God, you're alive!" Kiyasha cried out, taking a step forward. The expression on her brother's face stopped her, dead. "What is it?" she gulped out.

"What happened?" Kakashi questioned.

"Sarutobi Asuma-sensei," Sasubu murmured. "...has passed away."

The next day, all shinobi gathered in the graveyard, over Asuma's simple grave.

* * *

Kurenai knelt before it, clutching a bouquet of roses, tears running down her face.

Kiyasha stood in between Naruto and Sasubu, her eyes grave. Sasubu and Tzurin watched Kurenai, sadly. Naruto had an arm around the sobbing Konohamaru.

"U-uncle Asuma," Konohamaru cried, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Kiyasha whispered to Tzurin. She shrugged.

"I went to his house, but his mom said he'd already left..."

_Asuma,_ Kiyasha thought, watching his red-eyed wife lean back on her heels. _Tzurin told me what you said, and I thank you for that. And I promise you, Asuma-sensei, that I and my siblings will look after your son. We'll protect him while we can, because God knows he'll be just like you. We'll miss you, Asuma._

Kurenai tilted her head and looked at Kiyasha, her eyes asking. Kiyasha nodded, then took a breath. She parted her lips and her gentle, singing voice sang out, echoing through the gravestones.

_We'll miss you_

_We'll miss your smile_

_And we'll still shed a tear,_

_Every once in a while_

_And though it's different now_

_You're still here somehow_

_Our hearts won't let you go_

_And we need you to know_

_We'll miss you_

_Sha la la_

_We'll miss you_

**FIN**


End file.
